The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-31
ACTIVITY ON The FARM.
SEpTEMBER's IMPORTANT WORK TIE
KEY TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS.
Hints AN TO the Gathering
OF the crOps.--SugGestiOns AZ to
Winter Crops and the Grasses
which are Well Worthy OF Consi-
fIar0finn

OF the crOpS-.-SuEGeStlOns AZ 10
Winter Crops and tho Grasses
which are Well Worthy or Consi.
derntiOn.
Southern Ctttirator.
The characteristic farm work Of this the
first fall month Is cotton harvesting. The
irultion OF the cotton planters hope of q sue
cessful, practical machine for gathering cotton
Is yet In abeynnce, and the work III nst still he
uone by nimblc human fingers. Inventors,
however, are earnestly at work seeking to
solve this great problem, as will be seen by
the illustrations and descriptions In this Issue
OF the Cuuirntor. Cotton n-pickipy by hand Is
by lar the most expensive operation Involved
in the production OF raw cotton. Moreover,
the cost OF nearly every operation, except
pi,eki ng, may be reduced In proportion asihe
but little difference In the cost per pound OF
gathering BY hand the crop from an acre pro-
ducting one thousand pounds of seed cotton
and anolhe acre yielding only half as much.
Hence, the supreme Importance and univer-
sal desire for practical machine to supersede
tue work of the hand. Such a machine must
necessarily be so constructed-to be efficient
that Its daily capacity will be almost in d.
rect proportion to the yield per acre.
Much has been said and written OF late
years about the importance OF gathering cot
cular; and some or the writers, although
right In the main, are evidently but little
familiar with the requirements and condi-
tons that must be practically met on cotton
farm during the harvesting OF the crop. Some
years ago an apparently otherwise Intelligent
English writer undertook 10 show that there
was no excuse whatever for the presence Of
Sand or soil In bales OF cotton; that the cotton
crop opened (all OF 1t, was his ideal in Sep
tember, Il month in which there was little or
no rainfall. He concluded, and reproved and
lectured the 1armeraccordingly, that the sand
was fraudulenty added by Tho farmer as Il
uke-welght.
While il is desirable to house the cotton as
free from leaf and hull as may be, it Is Of first
importance that the crop be "gone over" as
often the rs quantity open at one time ia su:-
ticient to enabIe hands 10 do fair days work.
ed picking force, celebrity OF movement, MIN.
bleness Of fingers, and the weight OF cotton
gathered per hand per day are the points to
be observed. The pickers should not be en-
barrassed and retarded In their work by too
rigid requirements In the matter OF trash.
They should 60 with rush from the start,
and every proper encouragement should be
offered them to bring heavy baskets to the
sLeeyards. A little trash hurts very little ; u
good deal does not affect the selling price
seriously, II the sample Is bright and free
removing or avoiding trash may add half u
cent, or even more, TO the selling price Of
weeks work of six bales harvested, leaving
three bales in the field TO be storm-beaten and
| destroyed to the extent of one-third It's oriYi-
nal value. before The hands get to work again.
Fast work and a lille more trash might have
saved the nine bales before the storm.
clean IN from from the the "hp hpils. Hands should he
taught TO make one well-directed grab at an
open boll and then grab the next The little
main until the last picking, when the field
may be closely cleaned. II should be consi.
dered that dirt. stains, loss Of color and
brightness Of sample, and loss Of cotton from
| falling to the ground, are lar more damaging
than the presence Of clean trash.
1t was one Of the excellencies OF David
Dickson's iarm management that he studied
the manual operations OF 6 the e iarm ar IN dstti
| to the best possible advantage. He not on y
studied to discover the shortest and best way
OF performing giving operation, but also
portant details. He taught his laborers as II
shoemaker or machinist teaches his appren-
tice. He stressed the Importance OF dexterity
and skill in every detail Of the apparent
simple operations of chopping cotton and
and picking cotton. His attention To the de-
tails of performing the various farm opera
tlons contributed largely to his success us
| farmer and planter.
After the cotton is picked, If wet from
heavy dew or rain 1t will pay 10 exercise some
care In drying 1t, by spreading on scaffolds or
co,ton house, Especially that from the bottom
OF the basket when heavy dews are prevail
ing. with the present labor. however, not
much cotton Is gathered before the dew dis
appears.) With the larger part OF the crop
now ginned and baled at custom glnnercs.
| there should be a much greater improvement
in the quality Of the work over that Of the
| old p,anCittlOn luun Is yeC IIl6ulleSt.
Careful handling proper ginning and balins
should be insisted upon.
| GATHERING CORN.
Corn ought to De cribOed Just as soon as dry
enough to keep IN bul Our almost inyaria-
BILE pructice during twenty years Of active
| farm life In lower Georgia was to gather the
entire crop during this month. II the
weather is fine, however, and large amount
until next month without serious loss. At
tention should be given to the cribs and barns
that are to contain the harvest, and advan-
tage should be taken OF weather unsuited for
cOtton-picking 10 get In field OF corn.
| GRASS
AS noted In last months Thoughts" Sep.
tember is the favored time for sowing all
kinds of grass seeds and hardy forage plants.
We trust that sugsestlons nnd eXhortations
made In previous number have been favora-
| bly, received aud That many farmers who
have never sown grass seed con purpose')
| in their lives, but have always made war up
sion OF failure and start a meadow and pas
ture, If only q few acres In sections where
the culture of grass has not yet been establish
ed and the best species discovered, large oper-
ations Should not be attempted. In such
cases few acres, well prepared and fertiliZed,
will be more likely to succeed, and the loss
will be comparatively small II failure results.
But why should failure to get u good start
| the first time deter the farmer from trying
again? In counties where grass culture Is the
very basis OF all agriculture, IL IS no uncnm-
clover or grass. But knowing from previous
experience that the natural and permanent
conditions arc adapted to grass, such occa-
sonal failures do not discourage him, much
less prove that "thiS Is not Il grass country.
Not at all. He rightly luys the blame on him
self, or finds that the seed were not good. or
the temporary weather conditions were not
tavora6le, and ne simply renews ms elior'.
We all known that even In the case OF our
ordinary crops, corn, cotton, ETC., our first and
chief anxiety at plantinS-time, and thereafter
is In regard to securing and preserving the
| "StauG." If We plant a field In corn and fail
from any cause TO get Il reasonably good
stand, we Immediately plow up and plant
over, or "replant'' with hoes. We know from
long experience that corn, cotton, peas, pota-
toes, ETC., are perfectly adapted 10 our soil and
climate, and an occasional failure TO secure u
stand does not raise q doubt The same Is
true as to grasses III the North and West. In
those sections of the South where grass cul-
ture has received little or no attention It, Is
not at all surprising that failure often results
from first attempts. Every farmer ought to
try lew acres, ut least, and persist In the cx-
pertinent until satisfied in regard TO the
policy and eSpediency of engaging moro
largely in grass huSbandry. The dairy and
stock-growIng industry are based on grass anu
forage crops ana w we ygricre Heene 'a. ne.
pends largely upon the adoption Of system
that embraces both.
There Is no question es to the value of bar
ley and rye when sown and treated as winter
grasses. Barley is better than rye every way.
excepting Its demand for rich soil In ORDER
TO give satisfactory results.
OATS.
In order TO escape danger OF winetT-klllinS,
oats should be sown carly In the fall. In
the northern part OF the cotton belt Septem.
Der Is the best month. South OF the miuuie
line, October and November sowipgs VIII an
swer. The idea is to get a strong root deHtl-
opcmcnt before cold weather sets In, giving
Lhe plants 4 firm hold on the SOIL Notwlth.
standing somewhat dscouraging failures Of